This invention relates to telephone handsets for use with key pads and, in particular, to telephone handsets adapted to minimize the overall space requirements of the handset and key pad.
There are presently available telephones which have been designed to minimize space requirements. In one class of telephones, this has been accomplished by incorporating the telephone key pad into the telephone handset. In one type of telephone of this kind, the key pad is arranged so that the keys are accessible and protrude from the underside of the handset. This design, however, is disadvantageous because it does not allow for on-hook dialing or dialing when the telephone is being cradled. In another type of design, the key pad is accessible from the topside of the handset. Again, this design is not entirely satisfactory because of the lack of accessibility of key pad when the handset is cradled.
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide a telephone handset which is adapted to accommodate for limited space requirements but which does not also limit key access.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a telephone handset for use with a key pad in which space requirements are minimized while key access is permitted at substantially all times, including on-hook and cradling of the handset.